1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved methods of growing transplantable nursery stock, and more particularly, to such methods wherein the root growth of the nursery stock is controlled prior to transplanting the nursery stock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The growing of nursery stock, such as trees and the like, in the ground has been a commercial practice for many years. The soil insulates the roots from high summer and low winter temperatures while maintaining the trees in an upright position without staking. However, once nursery stock is grown in the ground without confining its root growth, the root growth must be dug out of the ground which results in a number of the roots being cut. This in turn often causes the death or disatisfactory growth of the nursery stock after being transplanted.
Methods of growing nursery stock in the ground prior to transplanting the nursery stock whereby the root growth is controlled by confining it in porous fabric containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,522 to Reiger et al. dated Mar. 11, 1986, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,914 dated Dec. 26, 1989 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,588 dated Apr. 14, 1992, both to Reiger. In accordance with the methods disclosed in such patents, nursery stock is confined within a porous fabric container and planted in the ground within the container prior to being transplanted. The porous fabric container has sufficient strength to constrict roots which penetrate it whereby the root growth outside the container is restricted and enlarged root nodule formation and root branching takes place within the container. Upon transplanting the nursery stock, the container and nursery stock are unitarily removed from the ground and the restricted root growth outside the container readily breaks off or comes out of the ground. The container is removed from the root ball prior to transplanting the nursery stock, and because of the nodule formation and root branching which took place in the container, the root ball rapidly regenerates whereby the plant is quickly nourished and anchored in the ground.
While the above described methods have achieved a high degree of commercial success, when the nursery stock being grown for transplantation is comprised of relatively small plants, placing each of such small plants in a separate fabric container or bag can be cost ineffective. Thus, there is a need for a less expensive method of growing transplantable nursery stock while controlling the root growth to achieve nodule formation and root branching prior to transplantation.